


I'll Care Again

by SmallTimeWriter



Series: Derek and Addison [4]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Derek/Addison, Drunk Addison, F/M, Grey's Anatomy - Freeform, Mentions Meredith Grey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25649782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmallTimeWriter/pseuds/SmallTimeWriter
Summary: He would care for her again.
Relationships: Addison Montgomery/Derek Shepherd
Series: Derek and Addison [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2186814
Kudos: 14





	I'll Care Again

**Author's Note:**

> I'll Care Again
> 
> Authors Note/Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy, that credit is for the writers and creators.
> 
> .
> 
> Summary: He would care for her again.

Derek watched Weiss as he walked up to the bar, angry and bitter about Sav's decision.  
_"How would you feel if it were, Addie?"_

The question was running over and over in his mind. How would he feel? He couldn't answer that question because he didn't know. Right now he could barely look his wife in the eye, so he didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't know how he would feel if Addison suddenly made this life altering decision. He did know one thing though, the thing Weiss seemed to be forgetting, it wasn't his decision. This life altering decision with Savvy's, and he had a choice to stay and support her. He could either make the decision to stay or to not.  
A part of him, deep down inside, it knew that despite everything happening in this moment...he would do his very best to support Addison, if it had been her decision because he had promised her that. Vowed to her that he would always support her.  
God, he was breaking his vows now wasn't he?

Derek shook his head, drowning the rest of his glass. He couldn't think about that right now. Right now they were supporting Savvy and Weiss, everything else could wait. "Why don't you ladies head back to the hotel?" Derek finally spoke, tearing his eyes away from Weiss to look towards the heart broken Savvy. "I'm going to have a chat with Weiss, I'll bring him back to the hotel soon."

"Thank-you Derek."

"It's going to be okay," He stood up, how many times had he done this before? It had been like this, always, there relationships were similar, most often mirroring. "Drive safe." He told them, he took a glance at Addison, she was looking up at him with a slight frown as if she wished to say something but he couldn't bare for her to talk, they couldn't have a conversation right now. Right now they were supporting their friends. "Safe." He reminded her; out of the two of them he was always the driver, it's just how it was; and it was raining tonight and now he was asking her to drive. So a little extra reminder was good.  
He saw her small smile, and he gave her a small one back, before he turned and walked away, heading over to knock some sense into his friend.

Savvy glanced at Weiss then back at Addie. "Let's get a bottle of wine and sink our sorrows." She stood up and reached for her friends hand. "Come on. I need wine...very, very good wine."

/

"I don't understand why he can't see this is for the best." Savvy took a sip from the bottle of wine, watching her friend do the same from her own bottle. "Ugh, I can't talk about him. How are you and Derek?"

"Awful." Addison took a big gulp of her wine. "He doesn't care, Sav, I'm hurting...I'm trying and you know what he's doing? Flirting with the intern."

Savvy pulled her bottle back from her lips. "That bastard." She exclaimed.

"My marriage is broken." Addison took a big gulp of the wine. "Very broken." She looked down at the bottle in her hands. "Weiss loves you."

Savvy raised her eyebrow. "Talking about him again, great. I find it unbelievable right now. I am trying to be smart, Addie, I am. Why can't he see that? I want to defeat it before I even get it, I just want never want to experience it. I want to be smart, Addie, I want him to support and love me."

"Oh honey, he loves you so much. He does love you, it is why this is so hard for him. He just..."

"No more Weiss talk." Savvy cut her off, taking another keep drink. "I'm hurt, and angry, Ad and I don't...if he can't support me then what kind of marriage is this?"

"Savvy, Weiss...okay, we need to take a moment." She took another breath, trying to arrange the thoughts in her mind. "You know Weiss, he loves you to the end of the earth and a billion times round. And that kind of love is once in a life time, the kind of love you don't pass by. He is not angry with you, or upset. He's just doesn't...it's just hard for him to understand, Sav, just give him a little time. You jumped right on this train and it's going full speed, he is just trying to catch up." She paused. "Gosh, that was level headed for someone with this much alcohol in their system...I think I need to drink more."

"You do." Savvy encouraged. "But..."

"He loves you Sav; what you see is him freaking out with worry. That's all."

"Addie." Savvy's voice quivered.

Addison stood up and walked over to her friend. "Drink more wine." Addison told her as she sat down and cuddled her. "I've missed you. I've missed this."

"I missed you too." Savvy whispered, she needed to change the topic, she couldn't talk about him anymore. "Hey, Derek looks different."

"The whole fisherman, wood chopping, hiking feel." Addie took another sip. "Yeah, it's different."

"The hair, it has a Russell Crow look to it"

Addie giggled. "I said that."

"Are you okay, Addie?" Savvy had to admit to herself she was worried. Addison hadn't been herself since Derek left New York, she still wasn't herself.

"Yeah, no, maybe...I will be." Addie shrugged, holding up her wine. "Let's drink, and dance!" She stood up and grabbed her friends hand and pulled, Savvy kind of stumbled off the couch and they both tumbled a little bit and fell onto the floor, the wine spilling from their bottles a little as they laughed.

"Oops." Savvy giggled, as she rolled off Addie and onto her back. "Think red wine comes out of the carpet?"

"Nope." Addie tired to tip the wine into her mouth but a little went onto the carpet. "Crap."

Savvy glanced over. "You're wasting the wine."

"I didn't mean it." Addie mumbled, leaning up on her elbows so she could take another sip. "Derek hates me."

"He loves you. Weiss hates me."

"Weiss loves you. Derek is angry."

"He'll get over it. Weiss is angry."

"He'll get over it."

"You're repeating everything I say."

"No you're repeating everything I say."

Savvy leaned up so she could take a drink without spilling it on the carpet. "Addie, they love us right?"

"Weiss loves you." Addison promised. "Do we have more wine?"

/

"They're drunk."

Derek stared at the scene in front of him, Savvy and Addie, lying on their stomachs, two bottles of wine in front of them and half a pizza, watching some reality tv show. The amount of times that they had caught them in this exact position was entirely impossible to count. "They are." He didn't know exactly what to say but his conversation with Weiss made him think through a couple of things. If he said to Addison that he would try, if he made that choice then he had to live up to it. He had to try and not just linger in the past. Nothing in this life was guaranteed and he had to fight harder for what he wanted or he would lose it for good. And he just wasn't sure if he was ready to lose Addison.

"Should we join them?" Weiss tilted his head.

Derek rubbed his eyebrow. "Well normally yes, but your wife is supposed be having surgery in the morning and my wife is supposed to be operating," He gestured to them with his hand. "On her." He finished.

"Not happening is it?" Weiss asked, and he didn't look overly enthused by it even though in the bar it would have made him delighted.

"Not if they keep drinking." Derek moved further into the hotel room. "Ladies," He leaned down and scooped up Addison's bottle of wine.

"Hey!" Addison reached her hand up to grab the bottle but Derek took a step back. "Derek,"

Derek read the label. "1600 on a bottle of wine." He whistled lowly. "Celebrating are we?"

"Drowning our sorrows." Savvy took a sip of her bottle, only to have Weiss take it before she could take a big gulp. "Hey, what do you think you are doing?"

"Dealing with drunk teenagers apparently." Weiss looked down at his wife, his stubborn but beautiful wife. "And saving you from making a big mistake." He glanced at Derek. "Want a glass Derek while we wait for these two to sober up a little?"

"1600 dollar wine, yes, I certainly do."

"Hey, you can't take that." Addison glared at him. "Give it back!"

Derek raised his eyebrow at her. "I don't think so."

"What are you calling a mistake? The wine isn't making me have surgery! And it isn't a mistake." Savvy threw a cushion in Weiss's direction but the alcohol in her system didn't do well with her coordination and it completely missed it's target and she watched it land a few feet short. "Ugh,"

Weiss walked back over and bobbed down, quickly pecked her lips. "The mistake would be you drinking to much to have the surgery. Don't worry though, I'll drink the rest." He stood back up before she could grab the bottle from him or hit him for his teasing.

"You little..."

Weiss chuckled. "Teenagers."

"Hmm, teenagers." Derek laughed, Addie and Sav most definitely had a youth like attitude about them when they were drunk. Lots of giggles, retorts and daring. It brought there childlike nature out if they had enough to drink. "Let's get some glasses."

"I'll get them." Weiss walked towards the small kitchen area.

"I really dislike you right now, Derek!"

"Yes, I'm not to fond of you either Addison, yet here we are." He took a seat at the table. "You are well aware you are operating tomorrow on your best-friend right and you thought it was a good idea to get drunk beforehand?"

Addison glared at him, she looked offended. "She is my best-friend."

"Who you are operating on tomorrow. It's not a smart decision, Addison." He didn't feel like he had had this conversation with her that many times, she was normally smarter and knew if she had a surgery in the morning then it wasn't right to smash a bottle of wine down in one night.

"Maybe I'm not smart."

Derek raised his eyebrow. "Excuse me? That's your defense. The smartest doctor I know, and you are claiming your iq has dropped."

"He complimented you!" Savvy exclaimed.

"It won't stand up in court, Addie." Weiss chimed from across the room.

Addie glared at her best-friends husbands back, and then at her husband. "Well sorry! Sorry for getting drunk with my friend while she is in town! Sorry for having a good time with someone who talks and listens to me." Addison shouted. "In case you haven't noticed I don't have friends here. I stayed for you and you won't look at me...so just give me my drink back and go away!"

"Addison,"

"Now!" Addison demanded, reaching for her drink which Derek held out of her way. "You're impossible."

"Ha. I'm impossible? You, Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, are calling me impossible?"

Addison tried not to look at him, he'd called her by her name, all of her names. Both her last names. God she loved him but he was...he called her impossible...impossible. "You are calling me impossible?"

"Oh my god. Yes, yes you are." He shook his head. "Now, are you done?"

"What? No I am not done, you..."

"I know our relationships is a mess, you think I could forget? But this is not how you deal with it. Not when you have someone who is counting on you tomorrow." They were arguing in front of Savvy and Weiss, but neither of them seemed to mind, because they'd seen them argue before, as their best-friends they didn't judge them. A silent rule. Because they didn't judge when Savvy and Weiss argued in front of them.

"Oh Derek, don't be mad at her. It was my idea to drink."

Weiss passed a glass to Derek, turning to look at his wife briefly. "You want to get drunk before your surgery? That doesn't sound very responsible."

Savvy rolled her eyes. "Sorry for needing a little pick me up, my husband can't support me so I am entitled to a drink."

Derek looked at Addie. "I'm not mad. I..."

Addison sighed. "Great, you have your disappointed face on..."

Weiss sat down, pouring himself a glass. "I do support you, Sav."

"Ha, yeah, it sounded like it back at the bar. Heres to all those words you know." She flopped back on the floor. "You're an ass." " She picked her phone up from beside her. "They are both asses."

"Sav," Weiss chided.

"Asses." Addie agreed.

"Online shopping, that makes me feel good." Savvy opened up a website.

Derek shook his head, taking a sip from his glass. "Hmm," He hummed. If there was anything that could be said for their wives, it was they certainly knew their wine. He'd always been more of a beer or scotch guy himself, but if fine wine was on offer then it was wine fine he'd have.

"They have expensive taste." Weiss mumbled. "And attitude problems."

Derek tipped his glass in Weiss direction in acknowledgement at that statement. "Always have." He let his eyes wander over their women. He couldn't count the number of times they'd been here before, drunk ladies and them observing, though no always...before in New York they would often join their women.

"Do you think you'll forgive her? Really forgive her?"

Derek looked down at his wife, she was scrolling through Savvy's phone and the smile on her face. Well, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her smile like that, the kind of smile that showed happiness. Today, it might have taken him all day but it had started to occur to him that perhaps he had a lot to do with their marriage breakdown, when was the last time he had made Addie smile like that? When was the last time he actually cared if she would drive safe, or about how much she was drinking.  
In New York, those last twenty four months, he simply reminded her that she was an adult. It was her responsibility to know when enough was enough. To not drink when she had early surgeries. And he didn't deny that it was her responsibility still but he was her husband and he had promised Addison when they got together that they'd work together as a team. So if he thought she was over drinking, and risking work then he had a duty to say something. To show that he cared. "Maybe," He asked Weiss. "Yes...I hope I can." And he was honest when he said that, he really did hope he could forgive Addison, he wouldn't be with her if he didn't.

"She loves you."

"No Weiss. I currently really dislike him." Addie chimed in.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Yes, I stole your wine, you'll get over it." He knew it was the alcohol talking, combined with the fact he had taken the bottle from her.

"I dislike you too. You were very mean to Savvy."

"Heck yeah, he was."

"Addison." Derek's voice was firm. "I think we should get going, let her sleep it off."

Weiss nodded. "Yeah, Sav should get some sleep too."

"Hey!" Savvy interrupted them. "We aren't done drinking yet!" She stood up, wobbled just slightly and moved to grab her wine. "You can go to sleep!"

Weiss moved the wine out of her reach. "Savvy," His voice held a slight tone of warning to it. "You have surgery in the morning."

"When was the last time they were like this? I don't remember..."

Weiss shrugged. "You were working. I had to call Mark to come get Addie." He shook head, as if remembering that night. "They were pretty much like this, except there was a lot of Derek bashing going on."

"Was there?" He mused, that didn't surprise him Savvy and Addie would always vent to each other. However, it did feel like a hit to his chest knowing that Mark got her, because apparently Mark did a lot for Addie when he wasn't around. "Right..." He took another sip from his glass and stood up. "Addison, let's go home."

"I don't wanna."

He chuckled, it wasn't quiet Addison language, she sounded like a pouting child. A complete opposite of the Addison that arrived in Seattle. "Right, well, we are."

"She said no. We are having a girls night."

Weiss raised his eyebrow. "What has gotten into you, Savvy?" He questioned his wife, standing up and capturing her by the waist. "You need to sober up for tomorrow. You want that surgery don't you?"

"Yes." Her bottom lip trembled a little. "You don't support me do you?"

"Yes I do. I might not agree with it, but I'll always support you, Savvy." He kissed her temple. "Come on, you have to go to bed." He let her go, so that he could go and place the bottles away.

Derek looked down at his wife who was propped up on her elbows looking at their friends. "Come on, you, time to get you home." He leaned down to grip her hand and pull her up.

"You mean my hotel room. Yes, how homey." She placed her hand in his but instead of him pulling her up, she pulled him down.

"Addison," Derek groaned, normally she wouldn't have been able to do that, but he hadn't expected it, it caught him off guard. He pushed himself up on his hands, his body still covering hers. His eyes focused on hers but hers, he knew that they were focused on his lips. He could kiss her, he could...but he wouldn't. Not yet. "You need to sleep."

"I'm not ready to go back to the hotel yet. It's so empty. I'll be alone. I don't want to be alone, Derek!"

"She's a whiny drunk sometimes." Weiss couldn't help but chuckle, catching Savvy's hand as she went to hit them, for teasing their friend. "You are to, babe."

Derek pushed himself up, it wasn't how he thought Addison would spend the first night with him but he didn't really have a choice. "It's your lucky night. I don't trust you enough to not drink another bottle so you are coming home with me. You aren't going to be alone, alright? Can we go now?" He held his hand out to her.

Addison raised her eyebrow. "You live in a trailer, Derek." She gripped his hand and allowed him to pull her off the floor.

"Yes, it's beneath you. I know."

"Is it cozy?"

"You'll fine out. Since it is where you will be sleeping." He grabbed her bag off the sofa. "We'll see how they wake up, but I'll page Stevens and get her to push the surgery back a few hours."

Weiss nodded. "Thanks, Derek." He glanced at Addie who was giving Sav a hug. "Good luck. I think you'll need it."

"Good luck to you too." He took Addison's hand. "Try to stay upright, will you?"

"I suppose."

/

"Go climb into bed, I'll get you a glass of water and a pain med." He pulled a glass down from the cabinet.

Addison walked towards the bed, she face planted into her pillow. "I'm mad at you."

"Well you can be mad at me all you like but still," He filled the glass up. "You'll drink this...Addison,"

"Oh no. No. No. I don't want to talk."

"You always want to talk."

"Not now. I'd rather avoid the lecture. I mean you are itching to give it to me aren't you."

Derek frowned. "Addison,"

"The _'Addison, you need to be more responsible.'_ lecture."

Derek shook his head, sitting the glass of the water beside the bed. "Addison,"

"Derek, just..."

He sat down on the side of the bed. "Addison, I am not going to lecture you." He tapped her arm. "Sit up, and drink."

Addison rolled over onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "Derek; I just needed a moment to unwind. To forget that my husband hates me. Okay?"

Derek raised his eyebrow. "I don't hate you." He reached over and moved her hair out of her eyes just slightly. "I do not hate you. In fact a little talk with Weiss and a drunken wife has me realizing maybe I don't hate you at all, despite how hard I have been trying to. You are impossibly determined to have me and if I am honest. I don't mind. I don't mind at all."

Addison looked confused. "What are you saying?"

Derek sighed. "Remember back when we were in med school, you made me promise that together we would be a team. We would have each others backs, call each other out and always strive to be better. We would never prioritize anything above us...and,"

"Derek,"

"Look, my point is I got a little lost." He gently touched his cheek. "It's my job as instructed by you to call you out, so I am. Drinking that much tonight was wrong."

"Derek, I was drowning my..."

"Sorrows. I know. But it's still wrong." He closed his eyes. "If I was a better husband, then I would have you talk to me instead of you hurting your liver and risking a very important life. Savvy's life. You can't operate if you are drunk."

Addison blinked back the tears that arose in her eyes. "I wouldn't..."

"Hey, don't cry. I am not saying this to make you cry." He gave her a small smile, the kind that would normally make her feel better. "I shouldn't have let you get to the point that you needed to drink on a night before a big surgery. So, I'm not saying this is going to be fixed overnight, or that I can forget everything that happened." He breathed deeply. "But I'm going to try Addie, I am going to fight harder because I haven't been fighting at all and that is me not committing to this, and I want to commit, I am going to try harder. Okay?"

Addison stared at Derek, her eyes roaming over his face. "Are you saying..."

"I'm going to try, Addison, a lot harder. Okay?"

"Okay." The word left her lips in the smallest whisper. "I'll take that glass of water now,"

"You will." He grabbed the glass and passed it to her. "I stopped caring." He tilted his head slightly, tonight was evidence of that. "But I want to care again, and I will."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

He took the cup from her hand, placed it on the bedside and leaned his body of hers, pecking her briefly on the lips. "Your breath sinks."

"Sadly I'm not surprised. I had a bit to drink."

He chuckled, kissing her on the cheek, his lips then moving to her ear. "Addie, if you drink that much before a surgery again, I'll have no trouble turning your backside a pretty shade of red." He felt her shiver beneath him, her breath hitching slightly.

"Promise?"

He laughed, freely laughed. "I promise."

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think.
> 
> Much Love. x


End file.
